Starters for internal combustion engines



April 19, 1955 P. TOULIER 2,706,412

STARTERS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April' 25, 1951 INVENTOR. N Jerne/ Mel ATTORNE Y April 19, 1955 PETOULIER STARTERS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 4 sneetssheet 2 Filed April 25, 1951 INVEINTOR: I fiwr Jpuluzl- BY 2 )f TTORNEY April 19, 1955 P. TOULIER STARTERS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE;

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 25 1951 INVENTOR.

7 mm; Jmlaer W J A TORNBY April 19, 1.955 P. TOULIER STARTERS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 25. 1951 INVENTOR. flerne/ z/DZLZW WW TTORNEY United States Patent STARTERS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Pierre Toulier, Meudon, France, assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application April 25, 1951, Serial No. 222,770

2 Claims. (Cl. 74-6) The present invention relates to starters for internal combustion engines or the like; it concerns more particularly the actuating means of a positive actuator type of starter, that is to say a starter in which the engagement with the engine to be started is brought about at least partially by the direct action of an actuating member.

This invention has for an object the reduction of the bulkiness of the starter, either by reducing the total length, or by providing that one part of the starter may be located in the interior of the neck of the armature of the starter the which for a given bulk of the starter, permits increasing the axial dimensions of the electrical part of the starting motor.

It has equally for an object the reduction in the throw of the actuating lever, which is particularly interesting in the case where the lever is actuated for example by an electromagnet.

Other objects and characteristics of the invention will appear from the description which follows and from the annexed drawings on which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation and partly in section of one mode of realization of the invention in idle position;

Figure 2 is a view from the left of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view analogous to Figure 1, but showing the device in the position it occupies at the time of putting in action.

Figure 4 is a view analogous to Figure l of a variation of the invention.

Figures 5 and 6 are respectively views from the right and from above of a detail of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a view analogous to Figures 1 and 4 of another variation of the invention; and

Figures 8 and 9 respectively are views from the right and from above of a detail of Figure 7.

Returning now to Figure 1, the starter shown comprises an electric motor 1 of which the armature shaft I 2 has a portion provided with helicoidal threads 3, and

a smooth portion 4. A starter designated in a general manner by the numeral 5 is mounted on this shaft; it comprises a driving sleeve 8 provided interiorly with helicoidal threads which cooperate with the threads 3. This sleeve is integral with the driving element of an over-speed coupling constituted in the mode of realization shown by a free wheel 7 of which the driven element is integral with a pinion 6. This pinion, when the starter is shifted longitudinally, comes into mesh with a toothed ring 32 of an engine to be started. A sheave 19 is freely mounted on the actuating sleeve 8, and bears against an abutment ring 11 fixed with respect to the sleeve. This sheave bears by means of an engagement spring 9 against the driving element of the free wheel 7. A fork 16 comprising two fingers 18 which engage in the sheave 19 is movable around an arbor 13 rigidly attached to an operating lever 14 of which a shoe 28 serves to actuate a contacter 30 controlling the power circuit of the motor 1. An actuator 22 is fixed to this arbor by any suitable means, for example by the flats 24, and a return spring constituted in the embodiment shown by a torsion spring 21 maintains the fork 16 abutting on the actuator.

The starter thus described functions in the following manner: The apparatus being at rest as shown in Figure 1, the lever 14 is actuated by means of a suitable device (pedal electro-magnet, etc.). The rotation of the lever 14 causes on the one hand the closure of the contactor 30 by means of the shoe 28, and on the other hand the displacement of the fork 16 which, by means of the sheave 19 and the spring 9, pushes the starter toward the position of engagement of the pinion 6 in the toothed ring 32.

Two hypothetical situations are then forseeable. There may or may not be abutment of the forward face, 33 of the pinion 6 against the toothed ring 32 of the engine to be started.

In the first case the pinion 6 engages with the toothed ring 32 and at the moment of closure of the contactor 30 occupies the position shown on Figure 3. The closure of the contactor 30 causes rotation of the starting motor 1 and of shaft 2. As a consequence of its partial engagement with the pinion 6 the toothed ring 32 opposes the rotation of the starter and the latter is pushed into full engagement with the toothed ring of the engine against the resistance of the spring 21 by the screw and nut effect of the threads 3 on the sleeve 8. This longitudinal movement of the starter is limited by an abutment 27 disposed for this purpose on the armature shaft 2.

In the other case, that is to say, if there is abutment of the forward face 33 of the pinion against the toothed ring 32, the spring 9 will be compressed to permit the lever 14 to complete its stroke and to close the contactor 30. The rotation of the motor 1 brings the pinion 6 into a position favorable to its engagement in the toothed ring 32. This engagement then proceeds under the effect of the screw and nut action exercized by the threads 3 on the sleeve 8 and of the expansion of the spring 9.

When the engine to be started becomes self-operative, the pinion 6 is caused to overrun the shaft 2 which effects the withdrawal of the pinion as a consequence of the frictional couple of the free wheel, and of the screw and nut effect of the threads 3 on the sleeve 8, into the position illustrated on Figure 3 in which the free wheel 7 permits the pinion to turn without carrying along the armature shaft 2; the expansion of the spring 21 cooperates in this withdrawal to the rear. The starter then remains in this position until the operator stops acting on the lever 14. When the lever 14 is released it is returned to idle position by the contactor spring, carrying with it, by means of the spring 21, the fork 16 and the starter.

This embodiment of the invention, besides the reduction of the stroke of the operating lever which only serves to initiate the meshing of the starter with the toothed ring of the engine to be started, permits the reduction in the possible length of compression of the spring 9 to the length of the initial engagement of the pinion 6 instead of the length of the total engagement of the pinion, the use of a spring of smaller dimension and from this the reduction in the length of the starter. These advantages are retained and increased in the embodiment of the invention shown on Figures 4 to 6.

The embodiment shown on Figures 4 to 6 differs from the preceding by the position occupied. by the engaging spring. The elements of this device being for the most part identical with those of the device shown on Figures 1 to 3 will be designated by the same reference numerals as the corresponding elements of Figure 1, and the description which follows will be limited to the new elements of this variant.

As in the preceding device the operating lever of the starter is rigidly attached to an actuator 22a. This actuator has an opening between two faces 41 and 42 of which is inserted a spring 9a; this spring is preferably kept in place on the one hand by a tenon 43 from the face 41 of the opening, and on the other hand by a tine 44 of the fork 16 which penetrates into a cleft provided for this purpose in the face 42 of the opening. The fork 16 is forced against the spring 9a by the torsion spring 2111 coiled on a cross bar 26. As in the preceding case the extremity of the fork opposite to the shaft 13 is provided with fingers 18; these fingers are engaged between free wheel 7 and an abutment 19a mounted on the actuating sleeve and kept in position by a stop ring 11 or any other appropriate means.

This variation functions similarly to the preceding device, the spring 9a being compressed to allow the lever 14 to complete its swing when the forward surface of the pinion 6 abuts against the ring gear 32 of the engine to be started, in the same manner as the spring 9 of Figure 1.

In thus locating the engaging spring exterior to the Patented Apr. 19, 1955- 3 starter properly speaking, the overall dimensions of the latter have been further reduced thereby permitting the location of a substantial portion of the actuating sleeve of the starter in the interior of the neck of the armature. This arrangement of the engaging spring has been repeated in another variation represented in Figures 7 to 9.

The embodiment shown in Figures 7 to 9 differs from the preceding in that the helicoidal threads 3 of Figures 1 or 4 have been replaced by the straight splines 3b. This arrangement secures the same reduction in bulk of the starter without however reducing the travel of the actuating lever.

The elements of the device shown in Figures 7 to 9, being for the most part identical with those shown in Figures 4 to 6, Will not be described in further detail, and the description will be confined to disclosure of the construction of the actuator 22b which differs from the preceding.

This actuator, which is rigid with the arbor 13 and the actuating lever 14 has two branches 41b and 421). A spring 9b is disposed between the branch 4152, on which its position is located by a tenon 43b, and the fork 16b with respect to which its position is determined by the lug 44b formed on this fork. The fork 16 is forced against the spring 912 by its abutment against the branch 42b of the actuator 22b.

The operation of this species is analogous to the operation of the species shown in Figures 4 to 6 with the difference that the helical splines being replaced by the straight splines, the full engagement of the starter is accomplished by the manipulation of the lever 14, and if tooth-abutment of the front face 33 of the pinion 6 against the ring gear 32 of the starting motor does not occur, this engagement is completed at the moment that the switch is closed. When the operator stops pressing on the lever 14, the switch spring returns this lever to idle position and with it the starter shift 5, by means of the pressure of the fork 16 on the branch 42b of the actuator. It is to be noted that in this device it is no longer necessary to provide an abutment to limit the meshing movement of the pinion, the movement of the latter being arrested by the closure of the switch which stops the fork 16b by virtue of its abutment against the branch 42b of the actuator 22b rigid with the lever 14; which may permit reduction of the length of the starter shift compared with the preceding species.

I claim:

1. In a starter for internal combustion engines including a starting motor and a switch for controlling the actuation thereof, gearing for connecting the starting motor to the engine to be started including a ring gear on the engine, a pinion slidably journaled on the motor shaft, manually operable means for moving the pinion axially on the motor shaft into initial partial meshing engagement with the engine ring gear, and for thereafter closing the starting switch and holding the pinion in at least such partial mesh with the engine gear as long as the starting switch is held closed, said means including an arbor rotatably mounted in spaced relation to the motor shaft, an operating lever fixedly mounted on one end of the arbor, a shift fork member journaled on the other end of the arbor, an actuator fixedly mounted on the arbor adjacent the fork, having a portion pressing against the end of the fork to actuate the fork in the direction to mesh the pinion with the engine gear, and a spring on the arbor yieldingly holding the actuator against the fork.

2. Engine starter gearing as set forth in claim 1 including further a compression spring between the actuator and the end of the shift fork, said actuator and fork having means for retaining said spring in operative position irrespective of relative pivotal movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,708,226 Kroeger Apr. 9, 1929 1,729,761 Chryst Oct. 1, 1929 1,757,238 Dyer May 6, 1930 1,761,518 Chryst June 3, 1930 1,942,573 Sekella Jan. 9, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 819,915 France July 19, 1937 

